New Jersey Statutes 2C:21-22. Unauthorized practice of law, penalties
Attorney's Note
Under the New Jersey Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| crime of the third degree | between 3 and 5 years | up to $15,000 |
| crime of the fourth degree | up to 18 months | up to $10,000 |
Terms Used In New Jersey Statutes 2C:21-22
- Attorney-at-law: A person who is legally qualified and licensed to practice law, and to represent and act for clients in legal proceedings.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- person: includes corporations, companies, associations, societies, firms, partnerships and joint stock companies as well as individuals, unless restricted by the context to an individual as distinguished from a corporate entity or specifically restricted to one or some of the above enumerated synonyms and, when used to designate the owner of property which may be the subject of an offense, includes this State, the United States, any other State of the United States as defined infra and any foreign country or government lawfully owning or possessing property within this State. See New Jersey Statutes 1:1-2
- State: extends to and includes any State, territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia and the Canal Zone. See New Jersey Statutes 1:1-2
b. A person is guilty of a crime of the third degree if the person knowingly engages in the unauthorized practice of law and:
(1) Creates or reinforces, by any means, a false impression that the person is licensed to engage in the practice of law. As used in this paragraph, “by any means” includes but is not limited to using or advertising the title of lawyer or attorney-at-law, or equivalent terms, in the English language or any other language, which mean or imply that the person is licensed as an attorney-at-law in the State of New Jersey or in any other jurisdiction of the United States; or
(2) Derives a benefit; or
(3) In fact causes injury to another.
c. For the purposes of this section, the phrase “in fact” indicates strict liability.
L.1994, c.47, s.1; amended 2011, c.209, s.1; 2014, c.48, s.1.